1,570 Days
by adistantland
Summary: Time makes the heart grow fonder? HIATUS
1. Day 1

**Hey people who don't know me, I'm not a new Fanfiction writer, but this is my first Glee fic. This is probably going to be my longest story yet, well, if you all want me to continue. I try to drag out my stories as long as I can so I hope you all like this! On that note, I'd like to say that this story starts the day they first met and even if it might seem like it's not Puckleberry at first, that's the point. Trust me, I'm a 100 percent Puckleberry fan. Now, onto the story!  
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**-Kristina**

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**Day 1,377**

Graduation day.

Rachel Berry swallowed the lump in her throat as she stared at herself in the mirror, gently moving her hands down her body to straighten out any wrinkles on her red, silk robe. The short brunette ran her fingers through her wavy locks and she bit her bottom lip. She didn't know why she so nervous, her stomach has been churning all day. Could it be the pressure of being Valedictorian? Probably not, she knew her speech like she knew the back of her hand. Rachel hurriedly sucked in a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut. She needed to think of the positives: graduating and leaving high school, moving to New York to attend Julliard, meeting new people, the possibilities were endless. So what was she worrying about again? Her big brown eyes snapped open and she smiled to her reflection before joining her fellow classmates in the auditorium.

"Rachel!"

She looked up from the ground and saw Kurt waving her over. A small smile flitted onto her lips and she walked over to him, her black heels clicking against the wooden floors. The auditorium was all hustle and bustle, where the rest of her graduating class were cracking jokes, laughing, and reminiscing over the four perilous years of their high school lives. As she inched closer to Kurt, she spotted Mercedes, Tina, and Artie chatting behind him.

"Hey Kurt," she greeted, clenching the robe in her hands.

Kurt eyed her curiously and quickly caught on to her anxiety. He pulled her to the side and gently placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You alright?"

She contemplated to whether or not she should tell the truth, after all, it _was _Kurt. She could trust him, right?

Rachel shook her head slowly, looking at Kurt straight in the eyes.

"Hun, you know I hate seeing you like this. Is this about...you know, tall, dark, and handsome?" he wondered, a frown starting to settle on his mouth. It was odd to see Rachel Berry sad; hell, it was so rare, the school had a field day every time she was. But lately, Ms. Berry was more lugubrious than usual and Kurt was determined to put a stop to it. But without facts, he had no way to help the poor girl out. Sometimes you can't rely on rumors, even if you were the number one person who started them.

Kurt stared at her intently when he was met with silence. And at that moment, that's when everything dawned on him. He opened his mouth slightly in awe and furrowed his eyebrows, softly clearing his throat.

"You don't have to talk about it if you want, Rachel."

She bit her lip again and shook her head, eyes still downcast, "No, I want to," she started, looking up at him again, "but what if he does show up tonight? What am I supposed to do?"

Kurt blinked and shrugged, "I don't know, darling. Just...do what you feel is right."

And with that, he walked away, just as their assistant principal were demanding them to get line. Rachel sniffed and placed the mortarboard on her head, turning to take her place in line. As they began to file out of the auditorium and into the football field, her stomach began tossing and turning again. She hoped he wasn't here, but rumors were flying around that it was possible that he'd be making an appearance tonight. '_Just forget him, Rachel. He doesn't matter anymore,_' her head screamed. After she sat down in her seat, her gaze averted to her clasped hands, "But I still love him," she murmured to herself.

"What was that?" Artie asked next to her.

Her eyes widened a little and she shook her head again, laughing a little. "It's nothing Artie. I promise."

He stared at her with his intense blue eyes and nodded, letting it go, even though he knew there was something going on. "Okay Rachel, just don't hurt yourself," he said, reaching over a little and patting her arm. She was thankful that Artie didn't push the subject any further; she couldn't take anymore drama today. And before they knew it, Mr. Figgins was done speaking and their names were being called out to get their diplomas. But once her stomach had settled, Mr. Figgins said something that brought her nerves right back.

"Rachel Berry."

Her eyes became wide again and she stiffened. The guy behind her, Chase Blackburn, nudged her until she finally moved forward. She laughed nervously and slowly walked up to the stage in the middle of the field. A million things were running through her head and she began to sweat.

"Don't be under pressure. Don't trip. Look forward. Left, right, left, right, breathe, left, right," she whispered to herself.

Then her mind started to drift back to the reason why she was so edgy all day.

Maybe she was just jumping to conclusions and needed to calm down. No way would he want to be seen back at his old high school. It just wasn't his way.

So she smiled when Mr. Figgins handed her the diploma and turned to wave at the crowd. She quickly scanned the stands to see if she could find both of her fathers. But instead, she locked eyes with those familiar green ones and nearly lost consciousness.

**Day 1**

To most Freshman students, the first day of high school would rather be considered as doomsday. Rachel Berry thought otherwise. She found this as an opportunity to broaden her horizons, make new friends, and let people know she was a someone who was destined to be a star. And in order to be the young starlet she so thrived to be, she made sure she was ready and organized the day before. Rachel prepared her tote bag and binder, already placing labels on the dividers, even though she didn't have her schedule yet. She rifled through her closet for the perfect outfit for nearly two hours.

She walked into school the next morning (pleated skirt, checkered button up top, Keds, and a braided headband) with her head held high as she walked down the hallways of William McKinley.

"Excuse me," she began, speaking to the red-headed receptionist at the front desk, "is this the front office?"

The lady peered up at her from her narrow glasses and nodded, continuing to record things onto a sheet of paper. Rachel blinked a few times when she didn't speak. "Um, d-do you suppose I can acquire my class schedule now?" she asked meekly. The woman sighed aggravatingly and opened a filing cabinet, "Name?"

"Rachel Berry."

The lady pulled out a piece of paper from one folder and pushed the sheet into Rachel's hands, "Now leave kid."

Rachel squealed a little and ran out of the office, holding her schedule in her small hands.

When she reached her first class, nearly all the seats were full except for one in the back next to a boy in a black beret. Well, even though she preferred to be in the front, one day in the back would be enough for her to handle. She set her stuff on top of the desk and smiled at the boy next to her. He smiled back at her and her out his hand, "Hello, I'm Kurt. Kurt Hummel," he greeted. Rachel gently took his hand in hers and shook it. "I'm Rachel Berry."

Thus began their new friendship.

As they got to know each other more and more, they both learned they shared a love for Broadway and singing.

"Do you think they have a show choir?" she asked Kurt, both of them walking down the hallway where numerous tables were set up to promote sports and clubs for people to sign up. He scanned the tables on both sides, "I'm sure they do."

"I certainly hope they do because so far, I haven't distinguished a single table where vocal abilities are executed. If there isn't, then I may just have to switch schools until there is a club for show choir. This is the only opportunity I have to become a star! I'm already fourteen! I'm already halfway through my future career because there is no way they're going to accept a girl who is in her mid-thirties without any true experience! The majority of actors, actresses, and musicians commence their profession at such an early age! Why am I not one of those starlets? Perhaps it's because I'm _extremely _pushy. Am I pushy Kurt? The publicity doesn't appreciate pushiness. I need to make an alteration before this gets any inferior. After all, I don't have that many gold stars anymore and the craft shop downtown are going out of business soon. How much more inspiration do I need? I must find a--"

"Hun, can you please shut your trap and take a breather?" Kurt interrupted.

Rachel frowned a little and bit her lip as they continued walking side by side down the hallway.

"What you _need _to do is learn how to talk less and speak real English. If you keep this up, you're not going to make it to the top. High school's like the food chain, and right now, we're the prey, the most vulnerable. To say the least, we're at rock bottom," he drawled carelessly. Rachel nodded in understanding.

"Oh, look! Here it is," Kurt announced happily, pointing to a table without people surrounding it.

They quickly scratched their names on the clipboard and high-fived each other. "Now I don't have to worry about switching schools," Rachel said.

"I'm going to head to the little boys room, Rachel. I'll be back in a few," he replied, walking across the hallways and leaving her alone.

Rachel sighed happily, turning around to lean against the lockers, but instead, she felt a wave of cold trickling down her shirt, neck, and arms.

Her eyes were squeezed shut as she heard laughter. She wiped her eyes and blinked to see that she was covered in blue slushy and the person who was laughing at her was a tall boy with a mohawk. He was wearing a McKinley High Letterman jacket, so she only guessed that he was a football player.

She screamed and stomped her foot, "What was that for!?"

He just chuckled and walked away with the giant cup in his hand, "Later Freshie."

Rachel felt like she was on the verge of tears. What a first day it has been.

Then, another boy walked up to her; he also had a Letterman jacket on, but he looked kinder than the other guy.

"Hey, uh, sorry about that."

Rachel blinked back tears and wiped her face, "It's...It's okay, I'll be fine."

He smiled a little and nodded, "Word of advice: Bring extra clothes everyday; you're gonna need it...I'm Finn by the way."

"I'm...Rachel. It's nice to meet you," she replied kindly, a smile growing on her features. Finn gave her a quick nod and left her standing there alone again. All of a sudden, she felt butterflies in her stomach and she giggled. Kurt came out of the boys' room and gasped.

"Oh my gosh! What happened here!?"

She sighed in content and continued to watch Finn in awe.

How had he managed to turn her bad day around so quickly?

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**I hoped you all liked this! This was just a sneak peak. I'd like it if everyone reviewed but I know that I'm not gonna get that many. That's why bribery gets the best of me haha. So if I get 20 reviews, I'll put up a new chapter as soon as I can. If I don't, then I'll update on my own time. You all know what to do.**

**-Kristina  
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	2. Day 26, 50, and 54

**Wow, I didn't expect people to actually give me twenty reviews, thank you so much! And I just wanted to comment on a few reviews. First of all, I'm not doing EVERY single day, and for each chapter I'm going to at least have two days unless one day is really eventful, you know? And regarding too much Kurt and Finn in the last chapter, that was the point. It was supposed to be kind of vague and do you really expect Puck and Rachel to start talking like they're friends? I don't think so. Hence my summary 'Time makes the heart grow fonder'. It's gonna take TIME which is why there are so many days and a lot of chapters. Plus, I'll be skipping around a lot during her Freshman year. I just needed to get that off my chest. Now, as promised, here's another chapter. Enjoy!**

**-Kristina**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee and blah blah blah, you know the rest.  
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**Day 26**

"Rachel, c'mon! Just this once? It's the homecoming game!"

Kurt spent nearly two hours trying to convince Rachel to go to the homecoming football game. And of course, being Rachel, she found it an 'immense misuse of time'. He racked his brain to find a legitimate excuse for her to indefinitely want to come, but as much as he tried, she stood her ground and showed no signs of sudden weakness. Rachel crossed her arms and gave him a pointed look, "Football is a sport for brainless neanderthal's that have nothing better to do than pummel one another for a deformed ball. Sounds completely pointless if you ask me; I honestly don't see the appeal of watching such a dim-witted sport."

"Going to the game will help you loosen up. I mean seriously, are you thinking about wearing _that _to the game?" he said, gesturing to her outfit.

Rachel gasped, peering down at her old and faded yellow sundress.

"Sweetie, that looks like something my grandmother would wear," he replied, sifting through her closet. "Don't you own anything from this century?" he asked in disbelief. Rachel toyed with the end of her dress and shrugged, "W-Well, all I receive are hand-me-downs from my cousin in Tennessee. She's not exactly a fashionable woman, but I attempt to compose something worth looking at! They _are _nice to look at, aren't they?"

"No, they're not. Remind me to take you shopping before we send all these granny clothes to the salvation army."

"No! No you're not! These clothes define me! You cannot just transform a person like you change your clothes Kurt!"

Kurt scoffed, "You know what? We completely steered off topic. Let's get to the real deal. The game starts in half an hour and you're _going _with me to the game, got it?" She pouted and whined, "But Kurtikins, I don't want to. I don't want to sit next to an obese, putrid man."

"But don't you want to see that guy you like?"

Rachel perked up and avoided his eyes, "What guy?"

"Yeah, the guy that has that _je ne sais quoi_ that makes you oh so attracted to him, the apple of your eye, etcetera. He's on the football team right?"

She watched him suspiciously as she stood on her feet, placing her hands on her hips, "You know Kurt, I don't recall informing you that he's on the football team, let alone telling you that I even like someone." Oh no, she caught him red-handed. But he couldn't say that each time he visits her house, he goes through her room to find her diary. He needed to maneuver himself away from the subject.

He sighed, "Listen, are you going or not?"

She huffed and frowned, "No."

- - -

"I cannot believe I agreed to this," Rachel muttered, adjusting her scarf to keep warm.

"Well, I'm very persuasive," Kurt replied, fixing his own scarf.

She sighed and scanned the football field to search for Finn, but instead, she spotted number twenty practicing out on the field and she rolled her eyes.

Noah Puckerman.

Or Puck, as he preferred everyone to call him. He was the same guy that chucked a blue raspberry slushie in her face on the first day of school. He continued doing this at least three times a week, but she didn't shed a single tear. There was no need to show him and his football buddies that she was a weakling, even if she was an easy target. The only way she found out his name was because they were neighbors. When she was taking out the garbage, his mother came over with a 'welcome to the neighborhood' cake and soon enough, his family and her family were having dinner at her house. Their parents even resorted to praying together every night; even going to the Temple every weekend (both of them actually had to go to that). Of course, he would never admit that it happened unless they suddenly became friends, but she couldn't see that in the future at all, especially with all his boyish attitude, or as he liked to call it 'badassness'. He was really an interesting character to say the least.

And what was with his ridiculous haircut?

His nickname was enough of a joke, but his hair too? What a clown.

Why was she spending time thinking about Puck, when she _should _be thinking about Finn?

But after fifteen minutes of hopeless searching, she gave up, only to find out that he was a no show because he had the flu that night.

So much for that.

Oh, and guess what? They lost.

**Day 50**

The day Mercedes Jones transferred to McKinley High was when Kurt began distancing himself from Rachel.

She moved into a home that was about a block away from Kurt and they just hit it off.

There's the end to that story because, well, Rachel felt left out and there's nothing more to say about that.

**Day 54**

"Party at Hudson's tonight!" a boy shouted as he ran down the hallway.

A smile broke out on Rachel's face and she hurriedly picked up her textbooks before running off to find Kurt and Mercedes. '_This could be the perfect chance to be friends with Mercedes_' she thought. Out of breath, she found them sitting across from each other in the cafeteria. She threw herself in an empty chair and placed a hand on her forehead, evening out her breathing again. It was amazing how fast she could run from one side of the school to the other without breaking a sweat. Mercedes was watching her with her eyebrow raised, as if Rachel looked like a complete idiot. Kurt was about to take a sip of water, his drink halfway to his mouth, waiting for her to speak.

"Guess what?"

Mercedes held her hands up, "Girl, if this is Mr. Hathaway findin' out that I cheated on my biology test, I don't wanna know."

Rachel giggled and shook her head frantically, "No, no, no. I happened to be located at my locker in the F building, idly obtaining my academic supplies when one of the popular males came scurrying down the hallway, bellowing at the top of his lungs that there is a party being organized tonight at Finn Hudson's residence. And I know we are not exactly the most admired adolescents at the moment, but I thought this could be an opportunity to let out our inner child and make an effort to be accepted by the popular crowd. Imagine, being recognized and famous when we walk down these halls, the sweet satisfaction of not being slushied every week, being free to do whatever you please without worrying about what others believe, having the courage to speak to the man you love, the feeling of his lips when we share a ki--"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, where are you going with this sweetie?" Kurt interrupted.

Rachel's cheeks reddened to a rosy pink and she ran a hand through her hair, clearing her throat, "I-I'm terribly sorry, that was out of line. What I _meant _to say was...who's up for a party tonight? I'm sure everyone's invited."

"Party," Mercedes smiled, "I'm definitely in. As long as there's some fine dark chocolate there, I'm good."

Kurt folded his hands on top of the table, "I'm in as well, I just need to buy a new outfit for tonight."

Rachel clapped her hands together and smiled brightly, "Great! So are we carpooling? I'm positive that neither dad or daddy would want to know that I'm going to be '_raising the roof_' tonight." Both Mercedes and Kurt's faces scrunched up in disgust. "Girl, neva _eva _say that again," Mercedes said seriously.

"Sorry," Rachel apologized, biting her lip, "I'm just really excited."

- - -

Rachel smiled at her reflection with appreciation. With this outfit, she hoped to win the heart of Finn Hudson and maybe, hopefully, he would ask her to be his girlfriend. After all, he was still single. There was a knock at the front door and she quickly ran to answer it before either of her fathers came down to greet them. "Bye dad! Bye daddy! I'll be back home before curfew! Love you!" she yelled behind her back, struggling to put her flats on. She threw open the front door and hastily closed it, nearly running into Mercedes.

"Hey gir--"

"Not now, we'll speak in the car. I don't want my parents to know that I'm attending a party this evening," she replied promptly.

Mercedes shrugged and followed Rachel, "Whateva you say girl."

Rachel joined Kurt in the back of Mercedes' brothers truck while Mercedes sat in the passengers seat.

"Drive fast," Rachel demanded.

Mercedes' brother did what he was told and Kurt watched Rachel curiously, "Wow, I never thought I'd see the day where Rachel Berry has gone rebellious. Kudos to you."

Rachel smiled at her friends, "Just trying something new," she said. A few minutes later, they arrived at Finn's house where music was booming and people were dancing the night away. Mercedes hopped out of the truck and bobbed her head a little, "Woo! This party is kickin'!" She dragged Kurt into Finn's house and Rachel was left by herself outside on his front porch. Her stomach dropped like she swallowed a bag of rocks as she opened the front door. There were so many people in the living room, she had to squeeze her way through everyone just to reach the other side. It was about time she let her presence be known to Finn. All she needed to do was find him.

She literally searched the whole entire house for him, but no avail; so she licked her lips and walked to the kitchen to get a drink.

What she didn't expect to see there was Finn kissing a blond girl she recognized as Quinn Fabray. Words couldn't describe the dozens of emotions that ran through her mind. All she knew was that her her heart was being torn into a million pieces every second. Tears sprung into her big brown eyes and her breath hitched as she turned around to run back into the living room. She inaudibly sat on the couch and cried her eyes out.

What a fool she had been. She should have seen this coming.

Why would he choose to be with her when he could have cheerleaders like Quinn Fabray? He didn't want to waste his time on a plain Jane like Rachel Berry.

But oddly enough, she still liked him. She didn't have the heart to be mad at him.

A few minutes later, she felt someone sit on the couch next to her. Rachel lifted her head to see who it was and scoffed.

Puck.

He was the last person she wanted to see right now. Rachel sniffed and wiped her face, trying to make it seem like she wasn't crying a few minutes ago. He slung his arm behind her on the headrest, "Hey Freshie. What's the haps?" She felt like she needed to gag from the amount of alcohol she smelled in his breath. He was drunk. That was the only justifiable excuse to why he was speaking to her in front of all his friends.

"May I advise you to take a breath mint, Noah. And I have a name, you know."

Puck furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and blinked a few times, holding one finger up, "Wait...could you run that by me again? Just a little slower this time?" he slurred. Rachel rolled her eyes, "I have a name," she enunciated slowly, like she was talking to a five year old.

He smirked, "Oh yeah, Rachelle right?"

Sighing, she rested her chin on the palm of her hand, "No. Close enough though."

Puck flailed his arms about, trying to hit something and spilling some beer on her skirt in the process. She gasped when she felt the liquid hit her and he turned to face her with a smile on his face. He chuckled, "I got it."

"Um, got what Noah?"

"The mosquito."

"There is no mosquito."

"Yeah, because I killed it. See? I still have some bug juice on my h--"

Rachel scooted closer to the armrest of the couch as she frowned in disgust, "Okay ew, that's sick Noah."

"It's cool! And wait, I think I have it. You're name is Rachel, right? Finn won't shut his hole when he's talking about you. It get annoying after a while," he muttered, his eyes starting to droop as exhaustion started to take over him. Rachel sat up when he mentioned this, "He talks about me?" Puck ran a hand over his face and whined, "Can we talk about something else? Talking about Finn bores me."

"Fine," she responded with disappointment.

He rubbed his right eye, "Y'know, I honestly don't see what Finn sees in you, but man, you look smokin' tonight," he said, lowering his voice to a husky whisper while twirling a strand of her hair around his index finger. Rachel averted her eyes away from him as she felt her cheeks heat up.

"N-Noah, stop it. You're drunk, you don't know what you're doing."

Puck groaned, "Stop calling me Noah, Berry. My mom calls me that," he spat distastefully. When he stopped his actions towards her, she breathed a sigh of relief and wrapped her pink cardigan around her tighter, "I'm free to label you whatever I want desire, Noah. Besides, Puck is just a ludicrous nickname...just like you're haircut."

"Okay, there is _nothing_ wrong with my hair."

"Sure, believe what you believe Noah, I'm not in the mood to quarrel over something so utterly pointless."

He was silent for a moment, "...What?"

Rachel let out a short scream of frustration and walked away from him.

At least he made her forget about Finn for a while.

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**Some Puck/Rachel goodness for all of you haha. I'm curious, do you think I should just keep it in Rachel's POV or do you prefer a mix of Rachel and Puck's POV? Review to tell me what you think. And since I got twenty-one reviews, I hope I have twenty-one reviews again? If I reach fifty, then I'll possibly have another chapter for you before Wednesday. Oh, and also check my sets on http://www . polyvore . com/cgi/profile?id=1189344**** (without spaces) to see Rachel's outfits for certain days. And remember to review!  
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**-Kristina  
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	3. Day 55 and 56

**Hey everyone, here's another chapter.  
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**Day 55**

_What the hell?_

Someone was nudging him and, blinking a few times, he attempted to swat the hand away. His head was pounding more and more as he began to regain consciousness. Puck groaned and squeezed his eyes shut, the corners of his mouth turning downwards as the pain of the hangover overtook him. Where the hell was he again? Oh right, Finn's house. In all honesty, he couldn't remember anything that happened the previous night, it was all a blur. He vaguely recollected driving up to Finn's house with Santana, but then she disappeared a few minutes later and an unknown beverage was thrust into his hands. And then that was it. Any of his actions after that were unbeknownst to him and really, he could care less. All he _needed_ to know was that he had a remarkable night. But what he _really _wanted to know is if he got laid last night. Sure, he may be a sophomore, but he didn't get the reputation as 'Mr. Sex-a-lot' for nothing. And judging by the fact that he was still wearing the same outfit, with every single article on, it probably meant that he didn't get lucky. _Oh well, there'll be plenty of other opportunities later on._

He sat up deliberately, growling and rubbing his eyes as his headache took another excruciating level. The person pushed him again and he opened his eyes wide open, squinting at the sudden flash of light. "Get the fuck away," he moaned, shoving the person back.

"Dude, get the hell out of my house. My parent's are coming home soon."

The voice was easily recognizable. Finn moved to sat down next to Puck and made an effort to push him off his sofa, but no avail, his best friend was like a rock. Puck rested on the worn, blue corduroy chaise again and shut his eyes, "Leave me alone, Finn. My head hurts like a bitch." He wrapped his arms around a throw pillow, prepared for sleep, when Finn heaved his oversized body on top of his own.

"Seriously man, you have to go," Finn stated tactlessly. Puck pushed Finn's body off of him and stood up disgruntled. "Good Yahweh, fine I'll leave," he muttered, throwing the pillow at Finn before stalking out the front door.

Some best friend Finn was. He wouldn't even let him stay over at his house, especially when he should have someone looking after him after the agonizing aftermath of his intoxication, someone to nurse his growing headache. Maybe a hot nurse? He could live with that. In fact, he'd be more than ecstatic to have a beautiful woman taking care for him, even if it was their job. Of course, those nurses probably won't be scantily clad and practically begging him to take them right there, so he's just going to have to go back home and deal with the nonexistent comfort of his sister.

_Shit._

_Shit, shit, shit, with a double side of shit._

He almost forgot that his mother had the day off today. Oh boy, if she found out that he was out getting wasted late last night, let alone _willing_ to get laid by any random teenage girl out there, she would never let him see the day. It wasn't like before where he was off the hook with a little slap of the hand. He massaged the sides of his head, walking unhurriedly to his truck. All this thinking wasn't helping his hangover.

Sighing, he yanked open the truck's door, eliciting a screeching noise from the dilapidated hinges, and winced at the sound before settling into the driver's seat. Shutting the door, he let out a peaceful exhale and leaned back to rest his head against the cushioned headrest. He may be badass and all, but this was the only reason why he hated getting drunk – the morning after. _Suck it up Puckerman. Be a man. _But just as he was about to start his truck, a voice behind him caught him off guard. "Hey Puck."

He rolled his eyes. Santana. _Why the fuck is she in here?_ "Um, no offense, but what're you doing here?" he asked uncertainly. The cheerio tilted her head to the side a little and raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow; she was looking at him like he was the dumbest person in the world. "You brought me here, remember?"

"Yeah, so?"

"_So _you have to take me home. I live, like, five miles away. Did you really expect me to walk all the way home in the middle of the night with no one with me? No thank you, I don't wanna be raped by some middle aged pedophile," she said a little impatiently. Puck scoffed, "Well, you sure are dressed for the occasion." Santana crossed her arms over her torso and watched him with a vicious expression, "And what's that supposed to mean?" she spat. He turned a little to the side and gestured to her outfit, "Well, you're dressed like a hooker. It's like you _want _a 'middle aged pedophile' to rape you."

Her eyes turned into slits and she glared at him, "Fuck you Puckerman."

"Yeah, no thank you San," he murmured, the right corner of his lips turning up into his signature smirk. Said girl huffed and slumped into the back seat, "Whatever, just take me home. I'm not in the mood to deal with this right now." Puck shook his head, "And _I'm _not in the mood to drive _you _home, so get out," he said impatiently, reaching over the passenger seat and opening the door.

Her mouth dropped open in shock and she slowly eased her way out of his truck, blinking profusely. "Now how am I gonna get home?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips, as if to appear somewhat intimidating. Puck shrugged and pushed his keys into the ignition, "Beats me. Start walking."

"There is _no _way I'm walking that far! These shoes weren't meant for that. Besides, I don't even know my way around here."

He started to back out of Finn's driveway, "Yeah, like I really fucking give a shit," he jeered.

"Puckerman, you better get your ass back over here!" she yelled.

"Fuck no. There's a couch at home with my name on it."

With one last glimpse of Santana's terror-stricken face, he hastily sped off before she had the chance to respond. There was finally some peace and quiet – well, except for the loud roar of his trucks engine – but besides that, it was rather calming, unlike Santana's annoying, screeching voice. It was kind of like nails on a chalkboard, his ears were still throbbing. The thought of that made his hangover take another nosedive and he cringed, starting to feel a little wary from the mood swings his head was currently undergoing.

Coffee was much needed now or he was seriously going to fall asleep at the wheel. His mother _really _wouldn't like it if he showed up in a morgue. It was like his sisters reaction when she saw someone get beheaded on the guillotine in that one movie, she wouldn't talk for days, except in his mother's situation, she probably wouldn't talk for months.

Oh the repercussions of living with such a dysfunctional family.

He turned onto his street and rubbed his eyes again. He passed by the Berry household and saw Berry herself sitting under the tree out on her front yard, reading a book while one of her father's were watering the plants behind her. She must have heard his truck because she looked up and her eyes turned wide before she stood up and ran into her house, but not before brushing herself off and kissing her father's cheek.

What a weird girl.

He didn't understand why his mom thought she was a wonderful young woman, practically worshiping her at her feet; she was the epitome of lameness. Seriously, who still dressed like they lived in the thirties or forties? It was stupid. And when she posted a new video of her singing on Myspace? Like really? He declined her friend requests about a million times already. When was she going to take the hint? He didn't want to become her friend. Not now, not ever.

Puck eased his way onto the driveway and hopped out of his truck. So far, so good. His mom's car wasn't there, so it must mean she's out doing some errands for the vast majority of the day. His hangover will possibly be done by the time she comes back.

He held his head in his left hand as he walked up to the front door and unlocked it, moving his way inside. Of course, once he entered, his little sister Anna bombarded him with a million questions and accusations. She may only be nine years old, but she was very smart for age. He groaned and slumped onto the sofa, ignoring Anna's mindless chatter. When she wouldn't get the clue that he wasn't listening, he held his hand up to silence her.

"Anna, _please _be quiet," he complained, laying down on his stomach and burying his head under a pillow.

He felt her grab his jacket and sniff it. His brows furrowed and he gently pushed her away, "What the hell are you doing?" She perched herself next to him and frowned. "You smell like alcohol again Noah," she spoke softly. Oh man, not again. She's going to pull this whole guilt trip stuff on him again. Puck shrugged and turned away from her, "Yeah, so?" He heard a sniffle and he sunk his head deeper within the pillows, hoping that he didn't just make his little sister cry.

"I don't want to you to die Noah."

His eyes snapped open and he looked up at her, "I'm not gonna die Anna."

"Then stop drinking," she whined.

"Hell no."

Anna pouted and crossed her arms, "Then I'm telling mom." Puck snorted and tried to get comfortable again, closing his eyes, "Nice try, Anna. But mom's not home." He heard her footsteps run upstairs while she yelled 'Mom!' over and over again. Wait a minute. His mom didn't park on the driveway, she parked on the...

He sat up and looked out the window. And believe it or not, there was her car; parked right underneath the buckeye tree.

...curb.

"NOAH!!"

**Day 56**

Rachel woke up sweating and breathing heavily. No, it wasn't a dream; she was feeling nauseous all night and every time she tried to stand up, she felt like blowing chunks again. After reaching over to get her cup of water, she carefully drank the cool liquid and proceeded to stand on her feet. Hopefully the water would stall her illness, even for just five minutes. She sniffed and softly padded downstairs, only to see the light on in the kitchen. Her dad was sipping some coffee.

She wrapped her arms around her torso and swallowed incoming sickness in her throat. "Daddy, I don't feel good," she said almost inaudibly, her voice cracking a little.

Her father immediately walked over to her and placed a hand on her forehead, "Wow honey, you're burning up. You need to rest today." His daughter coughed and inhaled with difficulty. He frowned and guided her to the sofa, gently laying her down on her back before placing a trashcan next to her and covering her with a blanket. She cleared her throat and looked up at him with half lidded eyes, "Can you make me some hot tea daddy?" She stared up at him with her big doe-like eyes and it was hard for him to say no.

"Honey, I can't. Dad's at work and I have to leave in a few. I'm going to have to call someone to look after you."

Rachel pouted and adjusted the blanket over her, "But daddy, I don't need a babysitter. I'm fourteen now. It's legal for me to stay home alone without supervision." He placed a hand on his hip as he dialed someone's number on his cell phone, "Don't act like this young lady. You're not in the condition to be looking after yourself. Now excuse me for a minute."

She sighed and toyed with a loose string on the pink blanket as her father left the room.

Who could possibly take care of her at the last minute?

He came back a minute later with a smile on his face, "I found somebody Rachel. Now, they'll be over in a few. Don't answer the door, they'll let themselves in, okay?" he said quickly, picking up his briefcase and coffee before kissing her cheek. "Fine," she murmured.

"I love you."

"Love you too daddy."

As soon as he left, she heard two pairs of footsteps bound through the front door and she looked up to see Ms. Puckerman holding Noah's ear in between her index finger and thumb. "Mom, I don't want to," he whined. His mother ignored him and smiled at Rachel, "Good morning Rachel."

Rachel watched them in astonishment, "Good morning Ms. Puckerman, Noah."

He snarled when he called her that, crossing his arms and turning away from her. Ms. Puckerman yanked on his ear again and he groaned a little in pain.

"Noah is going to take care of you today. I have to go to work unfortunately. But since he was objecting earlier, this is his punishment while being grounded. No offense." Rachel shook her head and smiled, "Oh, none taken Ms. Puckerman. This is a great chastisement for Noah." His mom let go of his ear and clapped her hands together, "Great! Now I have to go before I'm late for work. Here's my number, just in case Noah decides to sneak off, okay?"

She smiled sweetly at his mother and nodded, picking up her cell phone from the coffee table and adding the number into her mobile. Ms. Puckerman looked up at him with threatening eyes, "_Behave _Noah." He rolled his and shrugged before she reached up to kiss his cheek. "Have fun kids!" she yelled as she exited the Berry household.

"So..." he started.

"So?"

"Got any beer?"

Rachel scoffed in disgust, "How typical of you. And no, we don't. Alcoholic beverages aren't permitted in this house, thank you very much."

Puck sat down on an armchair and propped his feet up on the coffee table, "Yeah, yeah, whatever Berry." He turned on the TV and flipped through the channels until Rachel got a headache. "Stop it!" she yelled weakly. "No," he replied, not averting his eyes from the television screen.

"Noah, can you get me some hot tea?" she practically begged.

"Fuck no."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know how to make damn tea."

"Pretty please?" she said, using her baby voice on him. He sighed in aggravation, "If I make you some tea, will you shut the hell up?" Rachel shrugged and blinked slowly, "I don't know. Why don't you make some to find out?" She closed her eyes, expecting him to magically conjure up a slushie from behind his back and throw it at her face. But, they weren't at school, so she peeked at him when she was met with silence.

He was glaring at her.

"Hell no."

She gave up.

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**Reviews make me happy :)**


	4. Day 102 and 115

**Hey again. So yeah, sorry for the super late update. I had a bunch of things going on and it was really hard to get back into the swing of writing after winter break. But I just wanted to say that I'm gonna play around with other relationships as well so you won't just be seeing Puck and Rachel. Just a side note, I won't be writing any type of slash/femslash; it disgusts me. That is all. So here's another update. Enjoy!**

**-Kristina**

**Other Relationships Featured: Artie/Tina**

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**Day 102**

It had been ages since Rachel had really spoken to any of her peers. Except for the casual 'hello' and 'goodbye' to Kurt and Mercedes, she hadn't really held a conversation with anyone that lasted over ten seconds, which was completely uncharacteristic for her. Plus, she felt her friendship with Kurt was on it's last string, so it wasn't like she had anyone to talk to anyway. Mercedes had stole the only friend she had made there at William McKinley and there weren't any others that wanted to be her friend in the first place: she had run out of options. Also, Finn hadn't even spared a single word to her in weeks, which altogether tore her heart.

Had she done something wrong?

Was she being too pushy?

Did he finally figure out her plan to destroy his relationship with Quinn? Perhaps not, he was too naïve to realize that on his own.

Whatever it was, it clearly drove her knight in shining armor away.

The only one who moderately talked to her was that of Noah Puckerman, but they were never in the familiarity of their school whenever it occurred. Their Sunday nights were spent at the Berry household where her fathers would invite his family for a nice (take out) dinner. He'd usually curse or make an incessant comment about her and then they'd end up bickering for an extended amount of time until one of their parents would cut in and stop them. Sure, they saw each other in the hallway, but that was usually when he was out to deliver her regular grape flavored slushie facial. To be honest, she found it easier and easier to accept the fact that this had become a day-to-day fixation, especially when he switched the flavor to grape, her favorite.

Just thinking about her confession made her feel ridiculous; though ridiculous didn't even cover what the whole student body thought of her anyway. Crazy was more like it. But she needed to keep her mind off drama and find something more interesting to do; she actually liked the peace and quiet.

Instead, she spent her days observing her fellow classmates: jocks, cheerios, band geeks, goths, and etcetera. But lately, she found herself more interested in what was going on between the weird Asian girl with the stutter and the boy in the wheelchair. They were both in the same grade as her, and both shared most of the same classes with her as well, so it made it easy for her to spy and eavesdrop on their conversations.

They were in biology…

"Mr. Abrams, Ms. Berry, please get back to work," Mr. Wilcox announced from his desk, "or else I'll have to write up a detention for the both of you."

Rachel's jaw dropped a little. She had never received a detention before, and she didn't plan on tarnishing her perfect record any time soon. "Mr. Wilcox, I have to assure you that both Artie and I here have been working to both our extremities for the entire class period. I find it completely immoral to--"

She got cut of when Artie placed his hand over her mouth and averted his gaze to the teacher, "We'll get right back to work Mr. W."

Their teacher just gave him a nod and went back to grading his papers. Artie moved his hand from her mouth and gave it a look of disgust before wiping it on his pants. "Gross Rachel, did you lick my hand?"

"I would _never _do such a revolting thing."

"Of course you wouldn't, can we please just finish dissecting the frog now?"

She placed her hands on her hips, "I already _advised _you that I'm not touching that… _thing_."

"It's dead," he pointed out.

Rachel let out a sigh of frustration, "Fine. What do I do?" Artie gave her a scalpel with a small smirk playing on his lips, "Cut it open." She frowned and did what she was told, covering her nose soon after, "The stench is repulsive." Poking and prying its insides, Artie briefly looked at her, "You get used to it after a while. Look, I know you don't want to be my lab partner and vise versa, but I want a good grade, so can you please grow up and help me?"

She scoffed, "You can't tell me what to do!"

Tina turned around and faced Rachel, "Hush already!"

Artie smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up. The Asian girl smiled back at him and quickly went back to work with Mike Chang, another football player. Rachel was speechless. Was she really that unwanted? She crossed her arms and glared at the back of Tina's head; she was no part of their conversation in the first place. And she couldn't believe the boy, _supporting _Tina while she so eloquently insulted someone clearly more superior than her. She would not stand for it.

"I still won't be told what to do," she muttered snootily.

Artie stared at Rachel, grimacing, "You're annoying. Do you ever listen to yourself talk? You're like a walking educational program. Why can't you speak normally?" Rolling her eyes, she folded her hands on her lap, "Save the verbal abuse for another unfortunate soul Artie, I've heard this all before."

Still working on their project, he responded in an unfocused voice, "Yeah, well, just telling you the truth." She bit her lip and settled into her seat, watching him work, "I know who you'd rather have as a lab collaborator."

He laughed lightly, "You don't know me."

"That may be so, but I did recognize that you have an odd fascination with the girl sitting not too far front of me."

Artie stilled and from the corner of her eye, she saw Tina turn her head a little, as if she were listening in on their conversation again. He shook his head a little and looked away, staring at someone from across the room. "We're just friends."

What's this?

This wasn't part of her plan. Just _friends_? And who was he looking at? She secretly damned Mike for being in the way, preventing her from trying to see who her lab partner was ogling. "I think you're being mendacious." Artie shrugged, "I don't care what you think. And what the heck is mendacious?" She raised an eyebrow. Wasn't he supposed to be smart? "Mendacious. Spouting lies. Purchase a dictionary."

"I'm not lying about anything," he responded flatly, returning his gaze to the project. Tina did the same as well, clearly not wanting to hear the rest of it.

Rachel was about say something back to him, but Puck had casually made his way to their lab table, "Abrams." Artie clenched his jaw and looked up at the jock, "Yes Puck?" He leaned in closer, "Parking lot. Three o'clock." Puck stood up straight again and gave Rachel a quick nod, which caused her to blush a little, before walking away.

Confusion was evident on her face, "What was that all about?"

He went back to working, "Nothing, just… dumpster diving after school, if you know what I mean," he replied softly. Rachel frowned, "Doesn't he get in trouble for doing that? Isn't that dangerous for you?"

Artie shrugged again, "Don't worry about me."

And that was the end of their conversation.

"It's a girl," Artie murmured, still staring at the insides. "What?" she moved closer to him to get a better view of the lifeless amphibian, "How do you know?" He pushed the stomach aside and laughed, "There's eggs. See?"

"Oh, I see," she laughed lightly and instantly felt lightheaded, falling off of her chair and passing out on the classroom floor.

**Day 115**

Puck didn't know what the hell he was doing over at the Berry household… again. There was a kickin' party going on at Karofsky's place and he did _not _want to miss it. It was New Years' Ever for crying out loud! His mom should be letting him have fun. But then again, it was understandable; he was still grounded from "bad" babysitting. And by bad babysitting, it was from when he didn't properly take care of Rachel the one time she was sick. All he did was not make her damn tea!

Tattle-tale.

She was almost like his little sister. The only difference was that she was a hot Jew and he totally wouldn't do his sister. But that was a secret that would never be told. He only had eyes for his best friends' girlfriend (another secret).

He wondered how long it was going to take before Quinn realized that he was the right guy for her and not Finn. He knew that Finn liked Rachel and vise versa, but he already had someone good on his hands; what did he do to deserve two girls?

And yeah, to be honest, he probably knew Rachel more than he knew Quinn and she was probably just another booty call to him, but that wasn't the point.

Quinn needed a _real _man, not a wimp like Finn.

Puck shook his head and snuck a can of beer into the left lapel of his blazer and walked out to the backyard. He sat down on one of the foldable lawn chairs and cracked it open, taking a long swig.

"What are you doing?"

He instantly spit out the alcoholic beverage onto the grass. Puck turned around and saw Rachel, who had her hand placed on her hips and look of fury on her features, and instantly let out a sigh of relief, "I thought you were my mom for a second," he replied tediously. She crossed her arms, "You shouldn't consume such an abhorrent libation."

"Alluring liberation? What the fuck is that?" he asked, taking another drink from his beer.

She scoffed and sat next to him, "Abhorrent libation. You know, disgusting beverage?"

"Then why didn't you just say that?" he replied monotonously.

Rachel shrugged, "I.. I don't know."

"Someone is gonna shoot you one of these days just because you're so damn annoying using all those big words and shit," he murmured. She rolled her eyes, "And would that person be you, Noah?" He was silent, moving his finger along the rim of the can. Rachel frowned and nodded, "Okay, I understand. I'm a nuisance that everybody despises. Tell me something I don't know." Puck shrugged, "Sometimes I sneak a peak in your underwear drawer?"

Her jaw dropped and she stared at him with wide eyes, "Excuse me!?"

"What?"

"You shouldn't go through a woman's personal belongings!"

"So? My mom tell me not to drink and have sex but I do it anyway."

"You're such a pig!"

"And you're a diva."

"Diva!?" she yelled incredulously.

He nodded, "And a priss. Oh, and a bitch too."

"I hate you."

"Right back at 'cha."

Puck tossed the empty beer can on the grass and stood up, "It's boring out here. I wish I was at Karofsky's place." Rachel looked up at him, "I thought you hated him, Noah." He briefly looked down at her, "Okay one, don't call me Noah. And two, I do, but I'd rather be there than here." Her brows furrowed, "But if you leave, I'll be alone. There's no one else around my age in there except for my cousin Ramsey, and all he does is show me his Star Wars action figure collection."

"That's the basis of it's appeal... Aw damn it Berry, you got me talking like you now. And besides, it's not my fault you have weird cousins."

Rachel chose to completely ignore his insult, or rather the whole remark.

"I think I'm gonna go inside. Are you coming?" he asked casually, leaning against the column on the the porch.

She shook her head and played with the blades of grass, "Um, no, I'll just sit out here for a while."

He nodded, "Okay. And hey, what you were asking me about earlier, the answer is no, I wouldn't shoot you. You're too amusing to kill."

"Uh... thank you?" She honestly didn't know whether to be flattered or insulted.

He smirked, "No problem. You and your granny panties are too much of a turn on to let go."

Rachel could hear the sarcasm evident in his voice. But it didn't fail to embarrass her and she felt her face hot. A few seconds later, she heard the door shut and her gaze quickly moved the spot where Puck was previously standing. He was nowhere in sight and she rolled her eyes.

Damn Puckermans.

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**Sorry if that was a little short, I still need to to get back into the swing of things. But yay! I updated! Honestly, I'm not a fan of Tina/Artie at all, but hey, I'm getting rid of my least favorite couples first. There will be a little more Tina/Artie in the next chapter maybe, but I don't know yet. Please leave a review. It'd be much appreciated. Think of it as a late birthday present? I just turned sixteen yesterday. But anyhow, leave a review please!**

**-Kristina  
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